In 2004, Awad al-Qarni was one of 26 Islamic scholars who signed a statement encouraging jihadist attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, saying “A Muslim must not inflict harm on any resistance man or inform about them. Instead, they should be supported and protected.”

Now, on his Facebook page, he has said “any Palestinian who will jail an Israeli soldier and exchange him for prisoners will be rewarded with a $100,000 prize.” “Saudi cleric: Kidnap soldier – get $100,000,” by Roee Nahmias for YNet News, October 26:

A week after the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, top Saudi cleric Dr. Awad al-Qarni is offering a $100,000 reward to anyone who kidnaps Israeli soldiers.

He is responding to an ad published by the Libman family offering a similar reward for anyone who catches the person who murdered their relative Shlomo Libman. Libman was killed by terrorists near the settlement of Yitzhar in 1998.

Awad al-Qarni likes this.

“The press reported that the Zionist settlers will pay huge amounts of money to whoever kills the freed Palestinian prisoners,” al-Qarni said. “In response to these criminals I declare to the world that any Palestinian who will jail an Israeli soldier and exchange him for prisoners will be rewarded with a $100,000 prize,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Al-Qarni’s post has already received more than 1,000 likes and extensive coverage in Hamas-affiliated newspapers in Gaza.

Al-Qarni is a famous Muslim cleric who often guests on TV shows and operates his own website where he discusses various religious law issues. The Palestine-Islam issue is particularly close to his heart.

Meanwhile in Gaza, Hamas Minister Fathi Hamad admitted that Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip enabled Hamas to hide Gilad Shalit for so long.

In an interview with Lebanese daily as-Safir Hamad said that the “military campaign in Gaza abolished any security coordination with Israel and the Strip’s liberation allowed us to conceal Shalit for five years.”…